Google canoodle in new waterways pilot

How the new Google River View, which is being piloted in Leeds, could look Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Web giant Google has chosen Leeds as the UK pilot destination for testing a river-based version of its popular Google Street View service, I can exclusively reveal.

The service will map the waterways of Great Britain using a canoe-based camera. In a major coup for the city, it's expected the River Aire will be mapped this way, along with the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

Leeds has apparently been chosen as the first place in the world to pilot the scheme as the city has "an interesting visual mix of industrial and commercial river landscapes, not to mention flora and fauna".

Launched in May 2007, Google Street View allows users to explore the world virtually at street level and has proved hugely popular.

Google River View – which is expected to be rolled out across the UK ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London – could become a favourite among anglers, ornithologists, riverside wildlife enthusiasts and limnologists. It should also prove popular among tourists planning canal boat trips or river cruising holidays.

River View is the latest in a series of Google Street View innovations which saw the California-based company launch a service at this year's Vancouver Winter Olympics which mapped the city's ski slopes using a snowmobile. While a Google trike takes pictures of places not accessible by car. It is believed that images for Google River View will be taken from a modified nautical vessel using sail pro-flo image capturing technology.

"For Google to be testing this service in Leeds is a massive boost for this city, not just in publicity terms, but from an online perspective, too.

"Leeds has strong digital credentials – from Freeserve in the late 90s, to the pioneering new super-fast 100Mbps fibre optic internet access now – and this announcement will only improve its online reputation."

Leeds has been chosen as the pilot scheme because of its varied mix of waterways, such as the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, Clarence Dock and the River Aire - which cuts through the heart of the city and runs underneath the mainline train station. It has a varied mix of waterside views, from natural riverbank habitats, its industrial heritage to trendy riverside apartments and bars.What do you think? Isn't this an impressive coup for the city? Post your comments in the section below.